Retainer for rock-drill steels



R. H. SMICKLE- RETAINER FOR ROCK DRILL STEELS Filed May 20, 1924 E n 0 P mm .1... m

INVENTOR R mwmHJm/cfi/e BY Zn 1. 3

HIS ATTRNEY Patented Jan. 6, 1925.

UNITED sirares COMPANY, 'orJERsEY CITY, Newansen n jc'oapoaarronor NEW JERSE RETAINER ron RoCK-nmL-nsTEELs. 7

Application filed May 20,

adapted to loosely embrace the-steel; Drill steels used in combination'with this type of steel retainer are provided with collars on the shank which in combination with the bale, form an obstruction to the withdrawal of the steel from the drill chuck.

In many steel retainers of-this type, the bale is adapted to swing on flat sided pivots or trunnions mounted on the front head of the drill, the pivotal aperture in the bale being likewise fiat sided so that the bale is held positively in the steel retaining position. Springs are usually provided .for pressing the bearing of the bale into engagement with the pivot through the medium of rods or plungers suitably heldin place on the bale. When nuts are provided on the plungers to hold them on the bale 'or to tension the spring, it is somewhat inconvenient to remove the springs and bale from the pivot.

One object of this invention is to enable a steel retainer to be readily removed and replaced on the rock drill. Other objects and advantages will be in part obvious and in part pointed out hereinafter.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is described hereinafter in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a plan View of the front end of a rock drill with the steel retainer in position holding the steel within the chuck,

Figure 2 is a side elevation showing the steel retainer in its steel engaging position,

Figure 3 is a side elevation showing the steel retainer swung to its position for releasing the steel,

Figure 4 is a perspective View showing the pivoted bearing, plungers, and plunger retainer apart from the steel retainer, and

Figure 5 is a section along the line 5-5 1924. serial-no. 714,571

, throughthe rearward extension of the'bale andshows the manner in which the plunger s held'in position by the .plungerretainer. 1

RAYMOND H. sMIc LE, or BE LvIDnRn, new JEasEYQAssIdnoe-ro aeeasopea m The drawings illustrateythesteel retainer anOuntcd-on 'the' forwardend of a typical rock: drill, only so much of the 'drillbeing illustrated as is useful for purposes of this description. front head A, a cylinder B and a front cylinder bushing C,these-parts*beingheld to gether by: means ofthroughbolts D provided witlrfront head; springs E to absorb '7 The'drill as shown: includes a v the shockof the hammer piston (not shown) .7

striking against the front head when'the steel F is removed. a

The front head A is provided with a pair v of ,trunnions or pivots Guupon which is 'pivotally supported the steel retainer which inaccordance with the practice of this invention comprises a bale H having: squared notches Jwithin which thetrunnions-jG are adapted to fit. The forward end of the bale H is bent as at K to fit around and. embrace the-steel The rearwardend of thebale H is provided "with extensions L terminating in forked ends 0' (Figure 5) Bearings P for the trunnions G are slidably held in position in'the notch J, said notch being-cut away as at-Q; to receive the T bearing ,P which is also supported partly by the rearward extension L. The trunnions G are held tightly between the bearings P and the notch J of the bale H by means of a spring R bearing against a plunger S having a head T. The plunger S loosely engages the bearing P as by means of a reduced portion U on the forward face of the head T which fits into an aperture V out in the back of the bearing P. Thus, while the plunger S is held in engagement with the bearing P when in place on the rearward extension L of the bale H the plunger and the" hearing may be readily removed from such engagement by depressing the spring R. In assembling the spring R, plunger S and the bearing P, the bearing is first placed inthe notch J next to the trunnions'G, andthereafter the reduced portion U of the plunger S is engaged through the rear end of the bearing and the rearward end of the plunger S is then inserted in the forked end 0 of the extension L, the spring R having previously been placed on the shank of the plunger S. In order to hold the plunger S in position in the forked end 0 the latter is notched and recessed so as to engage with a retaining member or washer W slidablymounted on the shank of the plunger S The spring R is adapted to bear against the head T of the plunger S and the retaining washer W'. In order to remove the plunger it ismerely necessary to depress the retaining washer W to disengage the notch in the fork and then to pry the assembly'away from the rearward extension L. In replacing the assembly, pressure on the side of the plunger S forces the washer WV into position, the forked end 0 being beveled as at X to allow the washer W to slide into place.

Preferably, the trunnions G are provided with a fiat side Y which engages the bottom ofthe notch J in the steel retaining position of the steel retainer as shown in F igures 1 and 2, the cooperation of these flat surfaces in addition to the pressure of the spring R prevents the steel retainer from grring out of its steel retaining position. I

owever, the bale H may be rotated on the trunnions G by slight pressure when it is desired to remove the steel F from the front head A.

The above described steel holder is adapted to be used with the usual form of steel, either hexagonal or roundor any desired form, usually having a collar Z formed on the shank of the steel F which is too large to pass by the bent end K of the bale.-

I claim:

1. A rock drill steel retainer comprising a pivoted bale having an extension at its rearward end, a bearing member mounted on said extension and adapted to engage a pivot for said bale, means for holding said bearing into engagement with said pivot, and means for supporting said means on said extension including a spring pressed member engaging said extension.

2. A rock drill steel retainer comprising a I pivoted bale having an extension at its rearward end, a bearing member mounted on said extension and adapted to engage a pivot for said bale, a spring pressed plunger for holding said bearing member into engagepivoted bale having an extension at its rear- Ward end, a bearingmember mounted on said extension and adaptedtoengage a pivot for said bale, a plunger loosely engaging said bearing member, a retaining member slidable on said'plunger, and a'spring about said plunger adapted to press against said retaining member and said plunger to maintain the bearing member in engagement with said pivot, said extension having a forked end to receive said plungerand notched to engage said retaining member. 1

4. A rock drill steel retainer comprising a bale provided with a flat sided notch adapted to engage a fiat sided pivot and having a rearward extension forkedat its end, a hearing member for said pivot slidable in said notch and supported by said extension, a plunger loosely engaging said member and insertable in the forked end of said extension, a retaining member slidable on said plunger and engageable with the forked end of the extension, and a spring bearing against said retaining member and the plunger to hold the bearing inengagement with said pivot. I

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification. 1

RAYMOND H. SMIOKLE. 

